Automobile brake testing mechanism



Aug; 2o, 1935.

J. L. SHROYER AUTOMOBILE BRAKE TESTING MECHANISM ,Filed DGO. 26, 1934 (falco/6 r ayer t Patented Aug;Y 2Q, 1935 8 Claims- .The..present invention lrelates -toyautomobile testingfrnechanism,` and more partioularlyto v.a

.#provisionofa simple, readily portable apparatus, '.;which maybe-put anywhere forfvuse,` for l'testing 'brakeadjustment/offboth. Wheels offa pair mechanismor apparatus '-for dete'cting indi- .cating"=thezrelative:adjustment of the *.'lora'kes of Vbothfwheels cfa pair-of 5 automobile wheels; yso dzhatgin" the event of maladjustment, the proper adjustment may be made.

.. l. It v is necessary, .for safe operation. .of automo- .:tive-vehicles, Athat the.'.1bral:es'ofv both wheelsnof a pair applyfequal braking effect to the. wheels when the brakesare applied.. This is .especially true-with' four wheel brakes.A Any! braking differ.- iential"presentin'Y the wheelslofi'a pair of wheels vof an automotive vehicle `causes skiddingof the vehicle, when the .brakes are.,Y applied,- and thus rinvitesaccidents..v 1 .A I 1"`Furthermore,`in four wheel brakes, the amount .lof brakingve'fect appliedrto-the front Awheels is @different from; preferably less than;i the' brfaking 'effect applied to the rearwheels. '1li' 1, h; i

" -Thepresent inventionihas for *anobject l the :lofautomotive vehiclelvwheels;thatislto say, `for ltestingfb'otli front v.wlrieels or-lbothbaokwheels' 'Another object ofl the present inventionis to provide a brakeitesting apparatus wherebyrela- Stive adjustment `of the brakes' of 'gbotlif-wheels -of 'aaipain of wheelsfmay-b'e readily ascertainedl Still anotherbject of'l the vpresent-invention'Y toprovide 'an apparatus Wherein'theexistence jo brakingaeffectlof brakes of automotive vehicles may be observed. y* Y -v Y yAnother 'and yet .further-object of the present `inventionis-toprovicleia'-braketestingapparatus Dwhereby the relative?Vg adjustment of the brakes Tof -both f wheels. ofaypair LAVof l automotive vehicle Wheels mayi be readilyfas'certair-ied,and wherein itheeiisteneeV of-braki-ngeifectlmay be indicated. ff'Il-he *inventionfha'sr fora *still ffurtherlbbject #the provision ofa'rsimple, effective testing appa- 'fratua `:which may be Amanufactured "for sale at -irelativelylow prices. f

Another object -of the' presentinve'n'tion islto tprovide an' apparatus efor testing l the relative adijustment of thelbrakesfof both wheels of apair Aof wheels-of an automotive'vehiclef ffrherabove; otheriand further-objects @tithe .present invention -willfbe apparent from? the fol lowing description, accompanying'- dra`.wir`i g,r and appended'claims. "f j 1?' Anf embodimentYefe-the`V present invention` 1s lllustrated in the accompanying drawing'fandthe views' *thereof Vare as" follows:

. Apbiieatmnncinber'26,11934,;Seriainolaisvj ."Figur.e yl is a topiplan view .of a brake testing mechanism l.constrtuzted in accordance-with the' .principles .of .the presentv invention. v l; f V.Eligure v2 isa vertical sectional 'ew taken 4silloy stantiallyin the plane vindicated'by the line ,-5

Figure Bris a fragmental vertical sectionalyiew .taken substantially inthe plane vindicated bythe .line:1I++III :of;Figure 1.

' Figure; 4 .is a .top planview .of theil'lustrated :10

. formbf the present invention showing ,fthe..posiv tionassumed by the .platform wheni-tjis rbodily 4moved in a direction substantially. perpendicular xtovits length, .by aA pair of automotivejvehicle Wheels overrunning the platform, with. the brakes 25! l amalied,A and with the brakes 11:1 equal adjustment. Eiigure Y.5f-is aview. .similar .to Figure 4, showingV the. platform Vvslightly cantd .or oscillated, vw'lioh oposiftion isassumed by .the platform when-a pair of automobile: wheels overrunsithe platform" and 2&0 Y

thegadjustment of the brakes vof the pair is .un-

The :drawing .will now be explained.y

The-testing mechanismi of: lthe present invenstionA-.is constructed -so astobe readily-'portable and 25 'tobe placedanywhere wherezconvenientfor use, suchason afgarage floor-,lon the ground, orfany- .whereelse y v- The form of .tl'ieinventiom as illustratedpincludes 'af-base. plateA I fhaving formed l.asLintegral f3() parts-thereof iraxnps f2 and 3, which are spaced from :each other to form afwell .-4. vA platform r Alis, in the present v.instex-ic'e, constructed as .a

,channelcwith its V.flanges :5 and 5 directed downwardly towards `the base L vThe platform A 1s 65 'supported' on the base `I by means of rollers` 1, four of which-are shown.v It is lwellunderstood,

- -howeve1i,` vthat the platformrA might be supported y Y in'somel other manner,the only requirement beingvthat the plattormbe-so mounted on the base .im

gthe'reof, -to provide the'guidewayyil.-. order 5,01

yStov center-the platform Ain-*normal positiorn that vis, vmidway between the ramps L2 and -35 npstandjing abutments'Il-andSare attached te ther f basefl. `lGompensating springs 154515, I6 and llv are arranged between thedianges f5 and-Blof lthe platform A, and the abutments I2 and I3. As illustrated, the springs I4 and I5 are arranged with adjacent ends against the abutment I2, while springs I5 and I1 are arranged with adjacent ends against the abutment I3. These springs are shown as coiled springs, although it is understood that other spring means may be employed in place of those specifically illustrated or that more springs may be utilized, each side of the stud 8,asoccasion warrants. Y

Formed asJendextensionsof Ithe baseA I1 are dials I8 and I9. Each ofV these dials has a graduated scale 2U on it, which graduations may be as desired and provided with proper char-` acters of indicia to enable-ready computationY of the adjustment of the brakes being tested.

A pivot pin 2I rises from the dial I8, and a similar pin 22 from the dial I9. pin 22, so as to swing thereabout as an axis are two superposed pointers 23 and 24. These '.pointersmay be provided with arrowheads 25 for .overlying .the indicia on the dials. As illustrated, the inner end of the pointer 23 is longer than thesinnerlend of the pointer 24. Depending from the .adjacent end ofthe 'platform A is a pin 26 adapted to engage one side of therear end of 'the pointer 24. In like manner, there is ansother. pin2l adapted to engage the inner end of the pointer 23. The engagementof the pin 21 is on the opposite side of the end of the pointer 23 than the pin V26, with respect to its pointer 24.

`ALsorew v'orV like instrumentality 22a is suitably attached to the pin 22 so that the pointers may beremoved or'replaced, as occasion may require. The oonstructionof .the pointers at the oppo- .site ends of vthe apparatus is the same; [Preferably,.the. rollers'l are disposed* in such aposition as .to` underlie a rpair ofvautomotivevehicle :wheels on the platform A. Theoperation lof the braketesting mechanism isas follows: .Y :.To test the relative adjustment4 of the front wheel brakes of a vehicle, the brakes are applied and the vehicledriven across the platformv A inv a direction substantially` perpendicular. to its length. .Ifmthebrakes are exertingbraking action on the wheels,. the instant the Wheels; strike the platform A, theywill move the platform, in a direction substantially perpendicular ,to its `length againstthe opposition of the springs.

Let it be assumed thata Vehicle approaches the tester in a direction from the bottom ofthe sheet,

A then thev platform A would be bodily moved to- Y`the wheel on which the brake is less effective, moving rearwardly towards normal position.

Figure 5 illustrates the position of the platform A under such conditions.

`As the platform A is moved towards the top of the sheet, the pins 26 would swing'the pointers 24 over the scales 2U in accordance with the eX-l tent of movement of the platform.` Any retroy grade movement of the platform will -not affect thepointers 24, asthese have to be reset by hand. If the difference in brake adjustment of the two front wheels of an.A automotive vehicle, .being tested, is abnormal, then the platform A may not be moved bodily substantially perpendicularly t italensth; but instead, .may immedi- Secured to the v wheels.

ately begiven the cant or swing, as illustrated in Figure 5. Under such conditions, the pin 26 at one end of the platform would swing its pointer 24 a different distance than would the pin 26 at the other end of the platform. Figure illus'-y trates the appearance the pointers 24 would have under such conditions. Such a state of affairs would readily indicate that there is maladjustment of the brakes of the front wheels of the vehicle. TheA brakes could then be adjusted, the wheels retested, and .this continued until no swinging movement of the platform would occur when the wheels are driven onto and across it.

In testing ythe rear wheels of an automotive Vehicle, approaching the Ytester from vthe direction of the bottom of the sheet towards the top, as soon as the driving wheels engage the platform, with the brakes set, the platform would be urged towards the bottom of the sheet, because of the tractive effect of the wheels on the platform. Under such conditions, the pins 21 would swing the pointers 23 a distance corresponding to the displacement ofthe ends. of the platform.

The wheels are then brought to rest,.while on the platform, by either disengaging thefclutch or stopping the engine. The springs exert greater eifort against the platform to return it to normal position than the brakingv ...effort holding the As a result, the platform A tends towards normal position. When the platformcomes to rest .at this point, the pointers are moved vbv hand against their pins in the `then yposition Aof the platform. `The amount of displacement, of

the platform is thenread by observation of the pointers, and the test is nished.

As the platform tends to return to normal position, as just described, and if the brakes of the wheels being tested are equal the platform will notswing, butV bodily move perpendicularto its length, towardsthe ltop of the sheet. A,If,.how even-the brakes. are 'not equally adjusted, Athen the platform will swingaboutthepivot 8. AThe end of the platform, underlying thelwheel having the lesser braking effect will swing a greater distance than the other end of theplatform, the difference being indicated by the. pointersk and ,theirdialsp e. Y

I am aware that many Achanges may bemade Vand numerous details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing `from the principles of thisV invention, and L ,therefore,l do not purpose. limitingthe Ypatent grantedhereon otherwise `than necessitated Hby the prior art. `'I'he invention is claimed as follows:

1. A self-contained, readily portable` automobile` brake testing apparatus; said apparatus including ajbase plate and rampsv spaced from each other; a platform supported on said base plate `between said ramps and adapted for oscillatory movement about a centralpoint andgalso 'for movement as a whole sidewise towardsand `away vfrom the ramps; said platform adapted to be overrun at the same time by both wheelsof a pair of automotive vehicle wheels and to be shifted as a f whole substantially, perpendicularto its length when the Vbraking effect is present and both brakes are equally adjusted and to be. oscillated when the brakingV effect is present and the brakes maladjustedg and means for indicating the amount of displacement of .said platform by said vehicle wheels being tested.

2., A brake testing apparatus including a single movable platform adapted to receive a pairvof automobile wheelsr the brakes of which are tobe fs 2,012,142 v l Vstantially perpendicular to its length and also tested, means mounting said platform for bodily movement substantially perpendicular to its' length and also for oscillatory movement about a central point, and means for indicating .the amount of movement of said platform.

3. A brake testing apparatus including a single platform adapted to receive both wheels of a` pair of automobile Wheels thebrakes of which are to be tested, said platform `being adapted for oscillatory swinging movement about a central pivo-t and also adapted forV movement in a Vdirection substantially perpendicular to its length, springs opposing movement of said platformiand means for indicating the amountv of movement of said platform.

4; A brake-testing apparatus including a platform adapted to be overrun by a pair of automo-v bile wheels and mounted for shifting movement substantially perpendicular to its'length and also Vfor oscillatory movement, and means for indicating the amount of shifting and oscillatory movement of VAsaid platform.

5. A brake testing mechanism including a'base plate, a platform adaptedto be overrun by both wheels of a pair of automobile Wheels and mounted on said base for shifting and oscillatory movement with respect to the same', ramps integrally ceive at the same oscillatable about a central point, and indicating means includingA a dial and a plurality of oscillatably,movablezpointers therefor, one of Y said pointers being operable by said` platform VWhen said, platform is shifted or.- swung in one direc,

tion from its normal positionand the other of jsaid pointers being operablev when said platform 'is shifted Aor swung in thev reverse direction from Y normal position.

'7.A An automobile brake testing mechanism including a single movabley platform adapted to be shifted perpendicularlyto its length in either direction'from normal position and also adapted for oscillatory movement with respect to a central point, spring means opposing movement of said platform from normal position, and dial and pointer means for indicating the amount of movement of said platform from normal position. 8.*.In an apparatus .for comparing the brake adjustment of both Wheels of a pair of automobile Wheels andv also' for indicating the presence of braking effect, a single platform. adapted to retime both Wheels of a pair of automobile- Wheels, means'mounting said platform for movement as a Whole in a direction substantially perpendicular to its length and also for oscillation about a central point, the i'no'venientV of said platform as a whole denotingV presence of braking effect when the brakes'on the wheels being tested are equally .adjusted and oscillatory movement of said platform denoting presence of .maladjustment of the brakes of the pair of wheels 'being tested, I and means for indicating the lamount of movementgof lsaid platform.

" JACOB L. SHROYER. y 

